Despite Everything, I Still Don’t Like Eyelash Extensions

Unpopular opinion, but I think I speak for many when I say that the pains outweigh the perks. Hear me out.

by Natalyn Chan | June 8, 2018

Eyelash extensions are fun, don’t get me wrong. Oh, they are really fun. Imagine waking up to a pair of perfectly curled, wispy and natural-looking full lashes, all without the hassle of mascara or sticking falsies on. It is like your own lashes, but on steroids.

If you’re unfamiliar with what eyelash extensions are, they are individual pieces that either come in mink or plastic and are glued on to your natural ones that then grow out together and last anywhere from three to six weeks. Things like mascara or eyeliner are usually skipped, because who needs that when your lashes are bomb and now “naturally” thick and long?

So, why dislike it even with all these benefits? I am barely scratching the surface here, but stay with me. At first, the small little inconveniences like not being able to use oil-based makeup removers and the inability to satiate the need to rub your eyes, were tiny hurdles that could easily be crossed. The real problems, however, started after my third or fourth session. I was so shocked to find out that my lashes were significantly weakened, meaning that they easily detached themselves. Yes, I had bald eyelash patches. Yikes.

One thing that could have lead to this was the fact that I couldn’t clean the area well enough, as I wear quite a bit of eye makeup. For one, I couldn’t use oil-based removers, so naturally, more effort is needed. Cotton pads that are usually used to soak and remove the makeup in one swipe can’t be used either, because the fibres will cling onto the extensions. Because of this, there was often residue left on the skin.

Then, there’s the hefty price tag of upwards of a hundred bucks per month. Ultimately, it just doesn’t seem worth it to get tortured like this on the daily. Plus, it looks quite dreadful when your lashes reach the end of its lifespan, which can end up looking sparse, uneven and just overall sad. The extension life is also quite inconvenient, since you would need to go for touchups two weeks after the original session, meaning twice a month, every month. Extensions? No thanks, I’ll just stick to mascara and falsies.